Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Be My Baby

In 2002, Kyle and I went to go see Super Furry Animals at El Rey (I always say "THE El Rey" but I realize that's like saying "the the" so I am trying to stop). I don't remember there being an opening band, but I do remember there being a DJ. There was also a big screen with a shot of the turntables and you could see his hands, and sometimes he would do funny things with them or write a note and show the audience. I was in heaven because he was playing the best mix of 60s stuff. One of the songs he played was a version of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" in Spanish. Only it wasn't The Ronettes. I thought it was so awesome, and I tried really hard to see the label on the record after it stopped spinning, but I couldn't. So I made a mental note to search it out the next day. The internet is a wonderful thing for music lovers.

I actually didn't find it for a while, maybe even a year or so. And by the time I did find some Spanish versions of the song, I had forgotten what the version I was looking for sounded like! I am pretty sure it is this version by Los Gatos Negros.

If it wasn't that version, then maybe it was this one. It definitely had male vocals.

Here is another version, one in Spanish and one in French, by a band called Les Surfs. I thought they were a French band, but upon further research I guess they are from Madagascar and its 6 members are brothers and sisters.

I really love finding unique versions of songs I like, especially if they are in a different language or some funky instrumental, and if they were recorded somewhere around the same time (I wouldn't really be interested in a recent cover). I couldn't find a video of another version I know of by Micky & Los Relámpagos. If you happen to stumble upon this post and know of any more versions of this song, please do share!

3 comments:

I love dif versions too! The bf and I always play Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies when we're in the car! That screen of the DJs hands sounds awesome. I was a Drum&Bass groupie (ha!) for a while and loved watching the guys do their thing.

Lara - You were a drum & bass groupie? I so can't picture that for some reason! My bff is a DJ and I like watching her do her thing too.

Interesting, Nick! I think I like the 2 male vocal versions the best (not counting the original of course). I like the way Los Gatos Negros turned into a fast paced garage rock tune, but I think I like the Tony Ronald one better. But there's something so damn classy about that French version.